Chapter 73

During the late Qing Dynasty, the invasion by foreign powers brought humiliation to modern China, as well as significant changes. For example, the grain transport system, which previously relied on canals, was changed to maritime transport. The development of maritime transport made the entire Tianjin Port bustling with activity. Compared to Shanghai, Tianjin presented a different scene, still bustling, but with a sense of old Beijing when entering the city. Tianjin was too close to Beijing, and during the late Qing Dynasty, the Beijing flavor was still quite strong.

Slowly descending the spiral staircase, the cruise ship carried mostly long-distance passengers. Not many people were disembarking, but quite a few were boarding. It was estimated that by the time the ship reached Japan, it would be quite full, then it would cross the Pacific to head to America. Yang Yue had taken this route back then, but the ocean liner he boarded was only about 8,000 tons, almost half the size of this one.

Over three days, the sea waves were much larger than those in large rivers, but because the ship was larger, its ability to withstand the waves was much stronger than that of smaller boats. They stayed in a relatively comfortable cabin, so they did not feel too fatigued.

Tianjin was one of the few industrial cities in China. The Qixin Cement Factory, Huachang Match Factory, Zhili Machinery Bureau, and other large-scale industries established by the Beiyang government meant that Tianjin's industrial population was larger than that of Shanghai and Hankou. In the newly developed Tianjin, one-third of the population was related to industry.

Walking through the streets of Tianjin, the strong industrial atmosphere was palpable. Only by truly being in Tianjin could one feel its strength. Surprisingly, there were many machine products for sale on the streets, and even some machines. No wonder Tianjin's output had always been the highest in China.

Yang Yuanzhao was somewhat moved after hearing the Yang family's description of Tianjin. He had somewhat overlooked Tianjin's role. After all, in later times, although Tianjin was a municipality, its economic output was not particularly outstanding nationwide. Who would have thought that in this era, Tianjin was still so prosperous.

Compared to Shanghai in the south, the Yang family's influence in Tianjin was even stronger. Due to the Zhengtai Railway, many things from Taiyuan could be easily transported to Tianjin. Tianjin, being a key port city close to the capital, currently had at least 50 shops owned by the Yang family. Tianjin was the most important city in the north for the Yang family, and it was managed by Yang Yue's fourth uncle, Yang Shiyuan, who was also Yang Shitang's brother.

Yang Yue had informed Yang Shiyuan long before they left Shanghai. To be honest, Yang Yue had never really understood Yang Yuanzhao's interest. Why was Yang Yuanzhao so interested in factories and enterprises? Could it be that his guess was wrong, and Yang Yuanzhao did not just want to enter the textile industry but also wanted to enter more sectors?

Yang Yuanzhao seemed interested in everything, from steel mills, textile mills, yarn mills, cement factories, and match factories. He wanted to see each one.

The main place Yang Yuanzhao wanted to visit was Qixin. Speaking of Qixin Cement Factory, one cannot help but mention Zhou Xueqi. In the history of the Beiyang government, besides the officials, there were also many talented people in business. For example, Sheng Huaiyan and Zhou Xueqi, among others, supported the vast expenses of the Beiyang government during the late Qing Dynasty. After 1900, most of the military expenses of the Beiyang government were supported by enterprises like the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.

Although it was just a small factory and not a confidential place, the only thing to say was that it was dirty, messy, and poor. The Yang family's influence in Tianjin was significant, and they quickly found capable personnel to take Yang Yuanzhao and his group into the Qixin Cement Factory.

Upon entering Qixin, it was quite dilapidated. It produced 700 barrels of cement daily, with an annual output of about 250,000 barrels, or just a few ten thousand tons. This output was the highest in China at the time, but compared to the cement factories Yang Yuanzhao had seen in later times, which produced hundreds of thousands or even millions of tons of high-grade cement, it was incomparable. The production efficiency of this cement factory was not high.

Yang Yuanzhao was still very interested in observing everything at the Qixin Cement Factory. He needed to solve the problem of whether he had the necessary equipment and technology. Although he had more advanced technology and equipment than this world, he could not show it off. Instead, based on the existing equipment, he could come up with many ideas. For example, Qixin Cement Factory already had a complete set of equipment for cement production, although the daily output was not high, mainly due to the small scale of the equipment and insufficient energy. After understanding the key elements of cement production, he had a clear idea of how to build a cement factory.

Spending most of the day touring Qixin, they then visited the nearby steel mill. Although the industry here was developed, it overlapped with many things in Shanghai. The real increase was not significant. Some military machinery bureaus, due to various reasons, could not be entered, which was somewhat disappointing for Yang Yuanzhao. Even more disappointing was that he did not meet Zhou Xueqi, the legendary figure of Tianjin's industry. Like Zhang Jian, Zhou Xueqi was a strong figure of the era, and many of Tianjin's industries, directly or indirectly, were related to him.

Fortunately, Tianjin was closer to Baotou. In the future, when the transportation problem was solved and the railway connected them, he would have the opportunity to meet them.

Tianjin's stop was not long, just half a day. After a hurried visit to a few factories, Yang Yuanzhao and Yang Yue set off. At this time, Yang Yuanzhao had several thousand more different blueprints. Having visited Hankou, Shanghai, and Tianjin, the three most important cities in China, and not being able to enter Qingdao to personally replicate German machinery, Yang Yuanzhao had a good understanding of China's basic industries. Next, he would use his experience from the future and the help of integrated machines to gradually increase their production capacity, reduce production costs, and improve operability. When all these modifications were completed, he would replicate these things, solving many problems in the northwest.

Eager to return, they did not take the Zhengtai Railway directly but instead took the uncompleted Jingzhang Railway from Beijing. The completion of the Jingzhang Railway was imminent, and it could directly reach Zhangjiakou. From Zhangjiakou to Baotou was slightly closer than from Taiyuan to Baotou, saving a lot of travel time and distance.

The train passed through the Jingzhang Railway, and with the completion of the railway, this area began to become more active. The trade between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the eastern gateway out of the pass, was very active. Before the railway, it could only be done by caravans. Now, even though the Jingzhang Railway had not reached Baotou, the operational section already covered four-fifths of the route, saving hundreds of miles of distance and time, making it very busy.

In Tianjin, they still purchased first-class tickets and arrived smoothly. After disembarking, the Yang family's carriage naturally took them to Baotou. Over a month, they had traveled across the country, visiting the essence of China. Among the major cities, only Guangzhou had not been visited. However, apart from a few British-funded companies, the remaining Chinese-funded companies in Guangzhou were not as strong as those in Shanghai and Tianjin. Guangzhou was more focused on foreign trade, meaning that business was more prevalent than industry.

After a leisurely day and a half, they finally arrived in Baotou. In early spring, Baotou was lush and green, presenting a pastoral landscape. In this desolate area, a giant would rise in the future, but for now, it was still hidden in the wilderness. With Yang Yuanzhao's arrival, this era was destined to be different.